All's Fair in Love and Cake
by Ceiphied Knight
Summary: What do you get when you mix Zel and Amelia with sweltering heat, a crazy Mazoku, and magical cake? Read to find out! Chapter 7 up! Rating changed to M. Oops!
1. The Cake is Not a Lie

ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND CAKE

_Author's Note: _I really must thank (i.e. blame) my husband for this. In his own special way, this story was born from his sarcastic fanfic suggestions.

You see, one day I was particularly bored and asked him to give me a plot device for a funny Z/A fic. After throwing out some stuff about them going to Starbucks and talking to Mormon children, he gave me this little gem about baking a cake. And, thus, this story was born!

More chapters are forthcoming. I rarely upload stories chapter-by-chapter but I feel like this one might take me a while.

This story takes place right before the Slayers Premium movie. Please read and review!

_Disclaimer: _Obviously, Slayers does not belong to me.

* * *

The little town of Rasmirin was somewhere on the route to Acassi, where the tiny princess of Seyruun, Amelia, was looking to wrap her mouth around some tasty fried octopus.

Her traveling companion and all around Best Friend Forever, Zelgadis, was lumbering slowly behind the skipping and cheerful princess.

"Zelgadis-san!" she called over her shoulder, still swinging her arms wildly as she pranced along, "Hurry up, or we'll never make it to Rasmirin City before nightfall!"

Zelgadis acknowledged her with a grumble and picked up the pace a bit. Once he fell into step beside his friend, he said, "I don't know why they call it Rasmirin City. It's barely a dot on the map."

Amelia smiled and nodded, "Maybe they call it that to seem more important!"

Zelgadis made some sort of disgusted sound under his breath but said nothing else. Amelia noticed that her friend was being even more serious than usual.

"Zelgadis-san, are you feeling all right?" she asked, innocently.

"No, Amelia, I'm not," he said with some annoyance. "It's hot as hell out here and I'm tired. Even I run out of energy sometimes, you know."

Amelia's eyes widened and she grasped his arm, making him stop and face her.

"I'm so sorry for not noticing sooner!" she said, her voice reaching new octaves never heard before. "Here, let me help you take off your cloak and stuff…"

She began fumbling with the clasp on the front of his cloak. Zelgadis, in turn, blushed furiously and slapped her hands away.

"Cut it out!" he huffed. "We're almost at the town and I don't want to be seen. Once we find an inn I'll change into something more comfortable."

Amelia smiled at him and said, "Okay, then let's go!"

She set off skipping again, an endless bundle of energy.

Amelia had shed pieces of her own clothing several hours before. She walked with her cape folded up and slung over one arm, with the pink and white armor piece that normally sat around her neck and shoulders tucked safely inside the folds of the cape. She had also rolled her pant legs up to above her knees.

It hadn't occurred to her that her chimera counterpart would also eventually get overheated. He was usually so strong and rarely complained unless she (or Lina and Gourry, when they were around) were being silly. Amelia allowed herself to sneak a look at her friend out of the corner of her eye. As the lights of Rasmirin appeared in the distance, he had raised his hood to cover his stiff, wiry hair, and his usual scarf to hide the whole bottom half of his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. Amelia never understood his reasoning, since his eyes were the most exotic thing about him. Almond shaped, teal in color, and rimmed with smooth stones, it was obvious to anyone with half a brain that the owner of those eyes couldn't be entirely human.

Amelia sighed to herself. After all this time, Zelgadis had no problem being himself around his friends and had even partaken in public baths with Gourry when time permitted them on their journeys, yet he was still incredibly nervous when entering towns. She wished more than anything that he would accept his appearance and walk proudly next to her, but then again she wasn't so naïve as to think there weren't some people who would probably think he was a monster and attack him.

That thought made her irrationally angry.

As they finally arrived in Rasmirin proper, they both noticed something strange about the town, but Amelia was the first to vocalize it.

"It's awfully quiet," she noted. "Where are all the people?"

"I have a bad feeling about this," Zelgadis said with a sigh.

They entered the first inn they came to and approached the desk. Amelia went ahead of Zelgadis to speak with the innkeeper, a gloomy looking old woman.

"Good evening, ma'am," Amelia said in the fine manners she'd learned as a princess and priestess of Seyruun. "My friend and I would like two rooms, please." She flashed a bright smile, trying to offset the weirdness in the air.

The old woman looked back and forth between the two strangers and finally said, "We only have one room left. But it has a private bathroom, and I'll give you a break on it since you wanted two rooms. You won't find a better deal anywhere else."

Amelia looked nervously back at Zelgadis and saw his slumped shoulders and the fatigue and annoyance in his eyes.

"We'll take it," she said.

Amelia paid the woman and took the key, then headed upstairs to their room.

The princess stopped dead in her tracks in the hallway and Zelgadis actually ran into her.

_Their room._

She was so concerned about her friend that the implications of sharing a room hadn't fully hit her.

"Amelia, what are you doing? Look, it's fine." Zelgadis knew her well enough to understand the look that had just come over her. "You can sleep in the bed and I'll just sleep on the floor or in a chair, okay?"

Amelia whirled on him and thrust her right index finger in his face.

"Absolutely NOT, Zelgadis-san! For once, you're a lot more tired than me! You'll get the bed, and I'll sleep on the floor!"

She turned back around and unlocked the door for them before he could argue any further.

They stepped into a huge room with a heart-shaped bed with red satin sheets and a mirror embedded in the wall directly above it.

On the nightstand set a white vase filled with red long-stem roses, and the bathroom consisted of a huge soaking tub, a small sink, and a toilet with a heart-shaped seat.

Candelabras lit the room with a soft, romantic yellow glow.

"Oh, my…" Amelia's mouth fell open.

Zelgadis slapped his palm against his forehead and suddenly felt even more exhausted.

"Great, they gave us the honeymoon suite."

"W-well," Amelia stammered, "on the plus side, it's really big!"

Later on, after Zelgadis had locked himself in the bathroom for over an hour, he finally emerged, dressed in his nightclothes with the world's biggest blush on his face.

Amelia tried not to laugh. She really did. But she found she just couldn't help herself!

Their room had come with a few free amenities, such as the sleepwear they were both currently wearing. Zelgadis was decked out in royal blue satin pajamas, while Amelia was wearing a red, high-cut, spaghetti-strap satin nightie which showed off her shapely legs and ample cleavage.

Zelgadis already felt stupid and had considered sleeping in his traveling clothes, but they were dirty and sweaty and needed to be cleaned, and he was just so tired…he decided the stupid pajamas would have to do.

Now Amelia was laughing at him. He didn't know exactly why, but her reaction made him even more self-conscious than he already was.

What was even worse, when he stepped out of the bathroom he was greeted with the sight of Amelia sitting on the bed wearing…that _thing_. Zelgadis didn't have a word for it, other than _indecent_.

He averted his eyes and grumped over to sit on a chair in the corner of the room.

"I'm glad one of us is having a good time," he mumbled.

Amelia stopped laughing and walked over to him. When he didn't look up, she leaned down and rested her hands on the tops of her thighs, which inadvertently squeezed her breasts together, treating Zel to a free-for-all look at her cleavage.

He looked down even more.

"Zelgadis-san," Amelia whined, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset. Come on, I said you could have the bed and I meant it!"

Before he could react, she grabbed him by an arm and dragged him over to the bed.

"Fine, fine, but at least take some of these pillows, and this comforter…" Zelgadis began tossing bedding at Amelia, until she was buried underneath.

Popping out from the pile of pillows and blankets, Amelia laughed. She looked warmly at her friend and said, "Thank you, Zelgadis-san. Pleasant dreams."

* * *

The next morning, Amelia noted that Zelgadis must have gotten a very good night's sleep because she was able to convince him to go down to breakfast without his hood and scarf.

While Zelgadis waited for Amelia to finish in the bathroom, he walked over to the big bay window in their room and flung open the curtains.

What he saw amazed him because it was…nothing. There was practically NO ONE outside! The night before he had been willing to write it off as being too late for people to be out and about, but first thing in the morning? Something very weird was up in the town of Rasmirin.

When Amelia finally came out of the bathroom, Zel called her over to the window.

"Amelia, do you notice anything strange?"

After a moment she turned to him with a confused look on her face.

"The town is empty again. Why would only a few people be out on a beautiful morning like this? Also, I didn't want to say anything last night, but I sense a strange presence in this place. I can't put my finger on it.

Zelgadis looked down at the princess. Her duties as a priestess in the white magic capital, Seyruun, left her sensitive to such feelings and he knew to trust her instincts.

"I don't know what's going on," he said. "But let's go downstairs and see if we can get some answers about this weird town."

As they walked down the stairs, they heard voices coming from the kitchen. The door was right underneath the staircase, so the duo stopped walking and leaned down to eavesdrop. Amelia knew if she missed anything, Zelgadis could fill her in because the third of him that was made of brau demon gave him very sensitive hearing.

Allowing a small smile, Zel whispered to an intense-looking Amelia, "Is it very just to be eavesdropping?"

She gasped at him and whispered back, "Zelgadis-san, our actions could be for the good of Rasmirin! Of course it's just!"

His smile grew a bit wider. He knew she was going to say something like that.

Amelia put a finger to her lips to shush Zelgadis.

They clearly heard the voice of the old woman from the front desk, as well as a younger male voice.

"…They're playing with fire, being out there like that," they heard the woman say.

The man made a grunting sound in the back of his throat. "It's their decision, Martha. You can't control the whole town."

"But it affects us, too!" Her voice was getting higher and louder. "I bet we reach 110 degrees today!"

From the stairs, Amelia and Zelgadis exchanged a look. They had noticed it was hot again, but they hadn't thought anything of it.

"Besides," continued the man. "Didn't you just tell me you think a sorcerer and sorceress checked in here last night? Maybe they're the answer!"

Amelia and Zelgadis exchanged another look. They hated being talked about behind their backs because it always seemed to lead to very bad things.

"I don't think they're a couple," the woman said. "They asked me for separate rooms at first."

"But they didn't protest when you offered them the honeymoon suite?"

"Well, no…"

Amelia huffed in a whisper, "Because she didn't tell us it was the honeymoon suite!"

Now it was Zelgadis' turn to shush her.

They heard the woman sigh as the man announced with conviction, "It doesn't matter…we can make them bake the cake!"

The princess and the chimera fell over the railing.


	2. Special Recipe Love Attack!

ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND CAKE

Chapter 2: Special Recipe Love Attack!

_Slayers is not mine. I am not an old Japanese dude._

Note: None of my stories are beta'd because I don't know anyone willing to do it. So if you think I do a horrible job editing my own work and would like to volunteer, please let me know!

* * *

The old woman, Martha, jumped at the loud noise just outside the kitchen. Her son, Markail, went to investigate.

"Um, can we help you?" He asked, looking quizzically at the man and woman sprawled in a rather undignified way on the floor in the hall.

The woman was the first on her feet and shoved a finger in Markail's face.

"Your evil deeds will not go unpunished!" She screeched at him. "I, Amelia, will make sure you – mmmmmmmpphh!"

She was interrupted by her male companion coming up behind her and putting her in a chokehold.

"What my friend is trying to say," explained the odd-looking gentleman, "Is that we overheard you talking about us and we don't appreciate it."

He then gave Markail a grin that made the younger man shudder.

"I…that is…" Stuttered the innkeeper's son.

"What my son is trying to tell you," Came Martha's voice and she calmly stepped out of the kitchen, "Is that we require your services."

Zelgadis let go of Amelia and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"We're listening."

* * *

The four sat around a large round oak table in the inn's small dining room. Zelgadis slowly drank a cup of tea while Amelia listened intently to the story being woven by the old innkeeper.

"It started two months ago," the woman began. "A strange man came to town. He was dressed like a priest and carried a strange staff…"

Zel already knew where this was going. He rolled his eyes.

"…There was something odd about him, but he seemed friendly enough and he said he was bringing us a warning."

"No doubt that fruitcake was trying to 'warn' you about something that's actually his fault," Zelgadis said with a growl. Amelia giggled nervously and patted his arm. Zel always got so bent out of shape whenever Xellos came up.

"No, not at all!" Said the old woman. "He told us a low level Mazoku was in route to our city, with every intention of enslaving us. Without a single magic-user in this whole place, it would be impossible for us to defend ourselves. Sure enough, three days later, a little old man came to town and told us that unless we obeyed his every whim, including a ridiculous curfew, he would slowly begin raising the temperature around here. Many people rebelled at first. But then, true to his word, the Mazoku made the temperature increase steadily every day. Now very few people have the willpower to fight back."

Amelia propped her elbows on the table and leaned on her hands, looking thoughtful with a small pout on her face.

Finally, she said, "I'm sorry to hear about your problems, so of course I will gladly help you fight this injustice! But what was the thing about baking a cake?"

Markail gave a nervous chuckle.

"You see," he took over the story, "The Mazoku did give us one way out. He said that if we truly desire our freedom, we would collect special ingredients which are available all over the city and bake a magic cake."

"A…cake?" Amelia was not convinced.

Martha nodded. "That is exactly what he said. A special magical cake. It would need to be made by a skilled sorcerer and sorceress, and they would have to mix the ingredients just right and recite and incantation given to us by the Mazoku. Only then will we be released."

"That sounds easy enough," Zelgadis said with a sigh. Amelia had already made up her mind to help, so he didn't have much choice.

"There is one other thing," Markail said, a blush spreading across his face. Zelgadis didn't like where this was going.

"One of the ingredients is love," Martha finished for her son.

"…Love?" Amelia repeated, her eyes getting that big starry look that always made Zel nervous.

Zelgadis faceplanted into the table.

* * *

Back up in their room at the inn, Zelgadis was trying to argue his case.

"Amelia, there's no way we could properly pull off this spell!"

"Why not?" She asked, a small frown flashing across her normally cheerful features.

"Because of the…well…the love part," Zelgadis mumbled. Amelia's frown grew deeper.

"You don't love me, Zelgadis-san?"

The chimera's face flushed red and he stammered, "Y-Yes! That is…I mean…I don't think in the way they're talking about…"

Amelia took pity on him and gave a small smile. "They didn't specify what type of love needed to be used. As long as we have love in our hearts for one another, even as friends, I think the spell should work."

Zelgadis heaved a large sigh and finally conceded.

"You're right. When should we get started?"

"No time like the present!"

* * *

Armed with the list of ingredients, Amelia and Zelgadis set out across the city. They had hoped that they would run into the (obviously insane) Mazoku and take him out the good old-fashioned way, but no such luck.

Just as night began to fall over Rasmirin, the two returned to the inn.

They plopped their shopping bags on the kitchen counter and headed up to bed, even more hot and exhausted than when they had first arrived in the city.

Giving a stretch and a yawn, Amelia headed off to her little pile of pillows and blankets in the corner of the room. Zelgadis gently grabbed her arm and guided her towards the bed.

"You take the bed tonight," he ordered. "We'll take turns. It's not fair for me to take it two nights in a row."

Amelia offered him a tired little smile and nodded. She practically oozed into bed, still wearing her traveling clothes sans the cloak and armor pieces.

Zelgadis sighed and removed her boots for her.

As he headed off to his corner, he heard Amelia call to him.

"You know, Zelgadis-san, this bed is big enough for both of us."

Zel froze. He doubted she meant that the way it sounded, but it still made his brain take a fast but inevitable dive into the gutter.

"That wouldn't be appropriate," he gently told her. "It would look like I was trying to take advantage of you."

Amelia gave a little chuckle and sleepily mumbled, "Can't take advantage…would never do that…"

Taking that as a cue, Zel headed back to his corner.

"BED! NOW!" Amelia suddenly yelled, eyes closed, lobbing a half-assed Fireball in his direction. Zel easily dodged it.

_Is she casting spells in her sleep?!_

Zelgadis slumped his shoulders and made his way over to the bed. Kicking off his own shoes and losing his cloak and mantle, he gave an unenthusiastic "yeah, yeah" and crawled into bed. The very far edge of the bed. As far away from Amelia's warm body as possible.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Amelia awoke refreshed, but still sweating bullets. It was hot as hell again. Possibly even hotter.

Groaning, she rolled over. She had apparently kicked all the blankets off in her sleep.

Next to her, sleeping soundly, was Zelgadis.

Amelia's breath caught in her throat.

He was in bed with her.

_Justice DOES always prevail!_

Feeling bold, she reached out an arm in hopes of being able to hold him close for just a moment before he woke up and asked her just what the hell she was doing. But just as she was almost touching him he gave a little growl and opened his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was that it was sweltering hot again.

The second thing he noticed was that Amelia's face was in his face, and their bodies were about three inches apart.

"Good morning!" She said in an almost sing-song voice.

"Gaaaaaah!" Zel practically flew off the bed.

"I'm sorry, Amelia! I must have rolled close to you in my sleep! I didn't touch you inappropriately or hurt you or anything, did I?!" Zelgadis rambled from the foot of the bed.

Amelia laughed, and Zel couldn't exactly place the look in her eyes. Disappointment?

"No, you did no such thing. You were a perfect gentleman, as always."

With that, she hopped out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

"I'll just…go downstairs and start setting up in the kitchen," Zelgadis called over his shoulder on his way out the door.

* * *

About 15 minutes later, Zelgadis was feeling a lot more calm and collected, and had laid out all the ingredients by their importance to the recipe and position in the Food Pyramid.

He didn't really know why his nerves were so rattled, anyway. Okay, yes, Amelia was a very attractive young woman and her feelings for him were obvious. Any man would start thinking about…things…after a while. It would be unhealthy not to think about them sometimes, right? Right.

Zel's problem stemmed more from the fact that Amelia was, and had been for a while, his best friend. He would rather things stayed the way they were, because there was no way a relationship between them would ever work out and then he would lose her completely.

He sighed to himself. He had already messed up so many things in his life, the last thing he wanted to do was mess things up with Amelia.

Speaking of which, where was she?

As if on cue, Amelia entered the kitchen and Zel's once noble thought process took a long dive off a short pier.

She was wearing a bikini top, obscenely short shorts, and sandals. Her chin-length crop of hair was pulled back in two small, low-set pigtails.

She smiled at him. He stared at her.

"Something wrong, Zelgadis-san?" She asked with honest concern.

"…PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!" Was all that managed to come out of his mouth.


	3. Rising to the Occasion

**All's Fair in Love and Cake**

Chapter 3: Rising to the Occasion

_**Author's Notes:**__ Please forgive me for this chapter._

_Slayers is not mine, blah blah blah._

* * *

Amelia looked at her friend, stunned.

"I am wearing clothes!" She shouted. She was a bit angry and didn't understand why.

She brushed past him, haughtily, and began looking over the cake recipe.

Zelgadis approached her, cautiously, and began reading over her shoulder.

"The first ingredient," Amelia announced, "is flour."

"That's pretty straightforward," Zel stated, tossing some flour into a large mixing bowl.

As Amelia read off ingredients, Zelgadis found himself doing most of the work. Not that he minded, as it kept him focused on something other than Amelia's ample bosom and curvy legs.

_Damn it! _Zelgadis couldn't help thinking, _this is AMELIA. I shouldn't be thinking about her in that way. It's incredibly selfish and disrespectful. If her father knew, he'd probably give me a Pacifist Crush!_

Still, he found himself peeking at his friend from time-to-time.

Amelia hid her grin behind the cake recipe, which was clutched in front of her. Not only was she super comfortable, Zelgadis seemed to be noticing that she was actually a girl! Oftentimes, he made her feel rather…unpretty. She knew he didn't do it on purpose, but he was too damn stubborn or noble or whatever.

Then again, that was one of the things she loved about him.

Amelia didn't know why she was suddenly messing with her best friend. Maybe because the opportunity had simply presented itself. Cephied knew that she would do anything to keep him as a friend, but part of her wanted more. She had wanted it for a while, in fact. Amelia strongly believed that love and justice would conquer all, and that nothing bad would come from a relationship with Zelgadis. Still, it would be unjust to force him. But there was nothing wrong with a little motivation!

As Zel stirred the current contents of the bowl, Amelia leaned over him and pressed her breasts together, acting interested in what he was doing.

Zelgadis stirred harder.

Amelia smiled.

Nope, nothing wrong with a little motivation.

* * *

Three hours into the magical cake situation, Zelgadis had shed his cape, mantle, and gloves and had rolled up his sleeves. He was still sweating bullets.

The kitchen had become a furnace. Even Amelia was suffering, but she couldn't remove any more clothing without being naked. Perspiration dripped down the side of her face, matting her bangs to her forehead.

"Amelia?" Zel said in a strained voice, "Would it be okay with you if I just take off my shirt?"

"I don't care, Zelgadis-san. Whatever makes you more comfortable," Amelia panted out while more flour found its way into her damp hair, causing it to turn to chunks.

Turning around, as if shy, Zelgadis raised his sopping shirt over his head and flung it unceremoniously into a corner.

Now it was Amelia's turn to try not to stare. She knew her friend hated his chimeric body, but she couldn't understand why. To her, he was simply exotic and much more attractive than an ordinary man. There was no doubt their friend Gourry was considered very handsome, and Amelia could understand that. But, to her, Zelgadis was beyond handsome. In her eyes he was perfect, and no one else would ever compare.

As Zelgadis went back to flinging dough or whatever thing he was doing for the cake right then, Amelia tried to look busy while she was secretly checking him out.

The muscles in his back and shoulders looked tense, but strong. His pants hung low on his slim hips and a little river of perspiration was running down his spine. Amelia found herself wishing she could count all the little stones scattered on his body.

_WHOA THERE! _Her train of thought came to a screeching halt. _I shouldn't be thinking about Zelgadis-san that way. That's very disrespectful and unjust. He didn't ask for me to stand here and stare at him like an idiot._

Embarrassed, she turned back to her icing with a blush on her face.

* * *

Zelgadis had felt her eyes on him. Part of him wanted to believe it was because she was disgusted or morbidly curious, but he knew that wasn't the case at all.

He knew that Amelia had feelings for him. He'd have to be an idiot not to notice. As for him, he was used to her. She was his best friend. She was also beautiful and a princess, therefore out of his league. He would hate to hurt her, and if he let himself give in to temptation he was certain he would. Or maybe she would hurt him? She was such a free spirit; it was possible that she would eventually leave him.

Zelgadis shook those negative thoughts from his head. If there was one thing he could be certain of, it was that Amelia would never hurt him. She wasn't that kind of person.

It was at times like this, when Zelgadis was more aware than ever than he was a man and Amelia was a woman, that he wished things could be different. He never thought he would fall for her type…

He shook his head again.

_The heat must be making me delirious; _he thought and tossed the dough in the air for the 49th time. The recipe called for 50 tosses. Because the recipe was insane and made no sense. He'd never even heard of tossing dough for a cake before! But apparently it was supposed to go around the batter and be baked with the cake. Zel snorted with disgust at Mazoku logic. He was convinced that they were all fruitcakes.

"ZELGADIS-SAN, HELP ME!" Amelia suddenly screamed and Zel dropped the dough on his head.

He didn't have his sword on him, but Zel turned and flung himself towards the direction of whatever danger had caused Amelia to jump up on the counter and push herself as far into the wall as possible.

He didn't know what he was expecting. Maybe an assassin or some kind of monster.

All he saw was a small black spider.

"Um, Amelia?"

"KILL IT! KILL IT!" Amelia cried and pointed at the arachnid. Zelgadis calmly stepped on it.

Once the spider was smooshed, Amelia seemed to relax a bit. But she still didn't come down from the counter.

Heaving a sigh, Zel grabbed a napkin and deposited the corpse outside.

"Thank you, Zelgadis-san," Amelia said with a blush when Zel returned from placing the spider in the trash.

"I don't recall you ever being scared of spiders before, Amelia," Zelgadis said, lifting his arms to help her down from the counter and giving her a small smile.

Amelia reached out her own arms for him and blushed deeper. "Actually, I've had a problem with them ever since that time in Atlas City."

"Ah," Zelgadis said, realizing what she was referring to. "Halcyform's place."

As Amelia nodded, she lost her footing and fell forward. Zel tried to catch her but they both ended up sprawled on the floor covered in flour.

Zelgadis landed on his back, with his arms around Amelia. He had placed himself between the princess and danger once again, and as the smoke cleared (or flour, in this case) that fact wasn't lost on Amelia.

As she laid there on his bare chest, she looked down at him in curiosity when he didn't immediately let go of her and push her off. He was looking up at her with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Neither of them moved. They barely breathed.

Finally, Amelia slowly moved her face towards his. She didn't know what she was thinking, other than she WASN'T thinking.

He responded and began leaning up to meet her, and their eyes were slowly drifting closed. Their noses were touching when there was a loud bang and then a woman's voice.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY KITCHEN?!" Martha screamed in fury at the scene in front of her.

Amelia and Zelgadis quickly sprang apart and took in the scene around them.

Flour was everywhere; in every nook and cranny. And now there was also a big wad of dough in the middle of the floor, dirty cooking utensils covered every bit of available space, and some chocolate icing was dribbling from an overturned bowl onto the stove.

In the middle of it all, the sorcerer and sorceress who were supposed to be saving the city of Rasmirin were half naked and also covered in flour, apparently kanoodling on the floor.

Martha shook her head. As angry as she was about her kitchen, she had to try not to laugh at the furiously blushing duo standing in the middle of it all.

She had no doubt they would be able to save the city, after all.


	4. This Isn't Supposed to be Fruitcake

All's Fair in Love and Cake

Chapter 4: This Isn't Supposed to be Fruitcake

**Author's Notes: Slayers isn't mine. Happy New Year!**

* * *

_Dear Amelia,_

_After your last letter, I think you and Zel might be heading towards the same direction we are, so we should try to meet up._

_Speaking of which, what's with you guys? I didn't expect him to agree to have you travel with him. You're so not subtle. Has anything happened yet? Give me details!_

_Love,_

_Lina_

_P.S. Gourry says hi._

Amelia rolled her eyes and folded up her last letter from Lina, carefully placing it in her travel bag.

There was a soft tapping at her door.

"Come in!"

Zelgadis poked his head in and announced, "Martha says the kitchen is clean now, so we can start again."

"Sure, I'll meet you down there!"

Zel softly closed the door and Amelia could hear him walking down the creaky wooden stairs.

The cheerful façade she had put on for her friend turned gloomy and she flopped back on her bed. Her bed, all alone, in her new room.

Any other travelers who had been staying in Rasmirin soon got the hell out due to the heat and Mazoku threat, and Amelia couldn't blame them. But that freed up a bunch of rooms, which Zelgadis had immediately jumped on. They had both vacated the embarrassing honeymoon suite (well, embarrassing to Zel, anyway) and acquired their own smaller rooms.

Amelia actually wasn't very happy about the situation. Not that she was trying to do anything unbecoming of a princess, but sharing a room with Zelgadis had given her a chance to try and address some of the tension between them.

"Not that it did any good," Amelia mumbled to herself, crossing her arms over her chest in frustration.

In the kitchen, before Martha had interrupted, she was sure that Zelgadis was going to kiss her. But then as soon as he found out when the first patron left the inn, he had immediately ordered Martha to give him the vacant room.

Amelia shook her head. He made no sense. Did he want to be close to her or not?

"AMELIA!" She heard him bellow from downstairs.

His voice broke her from her reverie and she trudged down to the kitchen for another day of baking.

* * *

Zelgadis waited impatiently for Amelia to start baking so they could get out of Rasmirin and never look back.

Unfortunately for him, Amelia was distracting. He found himself both thanking and cursing the Powers That Be for the heat.

She was wearing a short strappy sundress with flat sandals. Her hair was pulled back in the alarmingly attractive pigtails she had previously worn, but this time her bangs were also pulled back in a headband. Zel assumed she was trying to keep flour out of her hair this time.

So the chimera's impatience was actually not just because he hated Rasmirin, but also because he wanted to finish the cake so Amelia would go back to wearing her normal traveling clothes and get out of his head.

At least he didn't have to share a bed with her anymore. Not that it was bad…just the opposite. It frightened him how much he enjoyed it.

Zel made a snorting sound in the back of his throat.

"Something wrong, Zelgadis-san?" Amelia asked, looking up from her oven preparations.

"No, not really. I just want to leave," Zel said, looking irritated.

The sides of Amelia's mouth dropped into a slight frown as she went back to her oven.

"What?" Zel asked, after a moment of silence.

"Nothing."

"No, really, what?"

Amelia spun around; a wooden spoon covered in cake batter in hand, and began waving it wildly at him.

"Do you really hate being stuck here with me so much that all you want to do is leave? Haven't you ever heard of 'making the best of it'?! I've been trying to at least enjoy myself, but all you seem to want is to be as far away from me as possible!"

After her tirade, Amelia spun back around and began fussing with the oven again, swooshing the cake batter around in the pan and re-adjusting the heat settings for the hundredth time.

Zelgadis just stared at her back, completely dumbfounded. Amelia very rarely got angry with him, and even when she did it was more like frustration that evaporated as soon as she let it out. This was different.

The dark-hearted mystical swordsman blinked at his tiny princess and felt _bad._

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," he finally grumbled.

Amelia said nothing, so he continued.

"I've actually…enjoyed spending time with you. I like traveling with you. It's nice to have company."

Finally, Amelia looked at him. Her face was a bit suspicious, but already brighter than it had been.

"Do you mean that?" She asked, cautiously.

"Of course I mean it. Why would I say it if I didn't mean it?"

That was all it took. Amelia's face lit up like he'd just told her all Mazoku had given up their evil ways and decided to fight for justice.

She launched herself at Zelgadis and flung her arms around him, spattering batter everywhere.

Zel easily caught her and spun her around. Once their momentum ceased, he found he had a hard time letting go.

Amelia stayed pressed up against Zelgadis for as long as he would allow, and found that he seemed to be allowing for quite a bit. But just because he was giving her an inch, she had to restrain herself from taking a mile.

As they stood there, Amelia cautiously pressed her forehead against his chest and relaxed her arms around his neck. For his part, she could feel Zelgadis gently rest his chin on the top of her head.

Without looking up or breaking her hold on him, Amelia whispered, "Zelgadis-san…I…"

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING IN HERE?!"

As they had before, they quickly jumped apart, startled.

Martha stormed into the kitchen, in rare form. Her gray hair was flying around her head like she was possessed, and her eyes flared like she was about to snap.

"I'll have you both know," she continued, completely oblivious to their close proximity, "That our Mazoku friend is paying us a visit. He's out front right now."

Amelia and Zelgadis exchanged a look and ran out of the kitchen.

* * *

They had been expecting to meet the Mazoku responsible for the heat waves. What they got was something else, entirely.

"Ah, Amelia-san! Zelgadis-san! What a pleasant surprise!"

Amelia looked warily at Zelgadis when they saw the pleasantly smiling Mazoku standing in the lobby of the inn. She could already see that vein in his forehead throbbing…

"I know you're not actually surprised to see us, you fruitcake," Zelgadis growled at Xellos. "So why are you here?"

Xellos leaned gingerly against his staff and feigned confusion.

"Whatever do you mean, Zelgadis-san?"

Amelia screeched when Zel lunged forward, attempting to murder the trickster priest who so greatly annoyed him. The princess did her best to restrain her much stronger companion.

"Let me go, Amelia! I think I can take him!" Zelgadis ranted, struggling against the chokehold she'd put him in.

Xellos just smiled.


	5. They're Playing My Song

**ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND CAKE**

**Chapter 5: They're Playing My Song**

**

* * *

**

_Um...I'M BACK!  
_

_

* * *

_

It had taken much begging and pleading, but Amelia had finally managed to calm Zelgadis enough that he would listen to reason. Reason, of course, being that Xellos could kill everyone in town with the wave of his pinky. When put that way, violence did become the less attractive option.

"I'm only here to make sure the town hasn't spontaneously combusted yet," Xellos explained as he calmly sipped a cup of tea.

Amelia and Zelgadis were seated at a table across from the Mazoku, with Martha and Markail watching from a safe distance.

"And why would you care?" Zelgadis growled.

"I always care what other Mazoku are up to," Xellos answered with an amused expression.

"So then, why don't YOU do something about this problem, Xellos-san?" Amelia asked, already fearing the answer.

Sure enough, Xellos held up an annoying finger and sing-songed, "That's-a-SECRET!"

"THAT DOES IT!" Zelgadis screamed and lunged at the Mazoku general/priest again.

It took much longer for Amelia to calm him the second time.

* * *

After Xellos bid farewell, Zelgadis and Amelia found themselves back in the messy kitchen...except now Zelgadis was fuming and Amelia could barely get him to focus.

"Please, Zelgadis-san, you know how Xellos-san is! He was trying to get this kind of reaction from you, don't let him win!"

Zelgadis looked up at her huge, pleading eyes. She was among only a handful of people in his life who gave a crap about him...and, in his opinion, definitely the cutest. It was hard to say no to Amelia.

"You're right," he finally conceded, and her huge smile practically lit up the room.

"Great! Now let's get back to this cake and prove to Xellos-san that we can beat some old Mazoku any day of the week!"

With that, she turned and began mixing the last bit of ingredients that needed to be added to the batter, which sat in a large bowl on a nearby counter.

Walking up behind her and watching her progress, Zelgadis asked, "How long do we have to bake this thing for, anyway?"

"Well," Amelia said, scrutinizing the recipe, "Once we have the batter completed, we have to bake the cake for only 15 minutes. But then we have to wrap the 'dough jacket' around the cake and bake it all for another 30 minutes."

Zelgadis rolled his eyes. "This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard of."

Amelia looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah, but there's no one else I'd rather be baking this stupid cake with."

Zelgadis was momentarily caught off guard by the princess' honesty.

He closed the scant distance between them as Amelia added the final ingredients to the batter. As she began stirring, she felt a warm presence behind her. Then Zelgadis' stony hand was on top of hers, and he was stirring the batter along with her.

Looking up in surprise, Amelia could see the uncertainty on Zelgadis' face. He wasn't looking at her, but somewhere on the floor next to her. A light blush colored his cheeks.

He was scared. Scared of her, of her reaction. Of her rejection.

Amelia smiled to herself. For someone so brilliant, he could be positively obtuse.

The princess said nothing, but leaned back against the chimera's warm, hard chest.

He wrapped his other arm around her waist.

"Amelia..." Zelgadis began...

CRASH!

Suddenly, something small and black was flying around the room.

Amelia let out a startled yelp, and the bowl of batter crashed to the floor.

Zelgadis jumped into battle mode, trying to assess the situation. It soon became clear that the offending creature in the room was a bat, and it had entered through the back door which Zelgadis knew for a fact had been closed only moments ago.

Amelia started waving her arms wildly, like some kind of malfunctioning robot.

"Shoo!" She yelled, "Get out of here, bat!"

The poor terrified creature found its way out of the door and back into the open sky.

After the bat's less-than-graceful exit, Amelia slammed the door shut and marched back over to Zelgadis.

"Zelgadis-san, I'm so sorry! I knocked the bowl over and ruined all of our hard work...AGAIN!"

Zelgadis shook his head. "It's not your fault, Amelia. Anyone would have been taken by surprise."

Amelia looked up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression and said, "Isn't it strange that it got in here, though? There's nothing in here that would attract a bat, and I could have sworn that door was closed."

"It was," Zelgadis confirmed. "I think we have a certain 'mysterious priest' to thank for the distraction."

Amelia didn't look convinced. "Wait...why would Xellos-san not want us to finish the cake?"

Zel shrugged. "Who knows. But you know as well as I do that he always has his own agenda. Maybe there's something in this town that he wants."

"If that's the case, maybe we should find out what it is..." Amelia mumbled absently as she began cleaning up the batter mess.

"It's just a theory, Amelia," Zelgadis said, reaching down to help her right the overturned bowl. Their hands touched once again, and both jerked away in surprise.

"Um, sorry," Zelgadis muttered quietly.

"Don't be," Amelia said, with something that sounded like determination in her voice.

Standing with the dirty bowl in hand, Amelia looked fiercely at Zelgadis before finally saying, "We need to talk."

"Um," the chimera swallowed hard and stammered, "I-Isn't it bad when a girl says that?"

Amelia smiled. "Not always."

Zelgadis let out a sigh of relief.

"That is," Amelia continued, "I guess that depends on your definition of 'bad.'"

Zelgadis' heart began pounding.

"Let's talk in my room in a few minutes," Amelia said, "I'd like to change first. Oh, and bring a bottle of wine."

Zelgadis had a very bad feeling about this.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	6. Gonna Make You Notice

**ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND CAKE**

_Chapter 6: Gonna Make You Notice_

_

* * *

_

_Author's Note: Don't worry, I promise I haven't suddenly gotten all serious and stuff! But please note that the rating of this story has changed to M! Only due to this chapter, and not because of anything TERRIBLY explicit! I'm just being safe for this chapter and possible future chapters! _

* * *

Why am I doing this? Amelia thought to herself as she stared absently out the open window of her room. The heat was suffocating, and there was no breeze.

She felt flushed all over. Sweat rolled down her face and beaded at her neck.

There was too much craziness in the world. Mazoku Lords running amok, enchanted weapons, magical cake, dragons killing each other, people being born with a piece of Shabranigdu inside of them...

Chimeras.

Amelia chided herself for once again coming to rest on her favorite topic. No matter how she tried, her thoughts always turned to him.

He would be there any moment. And exactly what did she plan to say? She could confess her feelings straight out, but that was just asking for trouble.

One thing was certain, anyway. This push-and-pull couldn't continue forever. She wanted him, and she was pretty sure he wanted her, too. They would either have to go for it, or end it.

Because there was one thing Amelia was certain of. They couldn't teeter much longer on the precipice of something in-between.

There was a soft knock on her door.

She whirled so fast that the action made her head spin. Rushing to the door, she threw it open to reveal a very sheepish-looking Zelgadis wearing a white shirt that was once loose, but was now literally plastered down with sweat. He was holding a bottle of white wine.

"Hi," he said, rather lamely.

"Thanks for coming, Zelgadis-san," Amelia said as she stepped back to allow him to enter the room.

"Don't thank me yet," Zelgadis retorted, then immediately regretted the remark.

He walked to a dresser against the far wall by a small closet and gently set down two glasses, then uncorked the wine.

Filling each glass, he presented one to Amelia and then plunged straight into the heart of the matter.

"Amelia, before you say whatever it is you need to...may I say something?"

Amelia tilted her head to one side in curiosity and nodded.

The chimera began placing, while quickly draining his glass.

"I haven't really been feeling like myself," he began. "Ever since we arrived in this town, I've been feeling disconnected, confused...I can't get my head on straight. So I want to apologize if I've said or done anything...inappropriate."

Amelia looked at him, quizzically.

"Zelgadis-san, you've never been anything but a perfect gentleman. I mean, you did try to attack Xellos-san, which was a little strange and futile, but I blame the heat and the fact that Xellos-san makes you angry just by existing."

Zel nodded his assent as Amelia continued.

"But, with that being said, it brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about..." Amelia's thought trailed off and Zelgadis treated himself to another glass of wine. Amelia used that opportunity to take a gulp of hers, as well. It was nicely chilled, which felt heavenly in the heat of the room.

Steeling herself, the princess squared her shoulders, chugged the rest of her drink, and forged ahead.

"I wanted to talk to you about the future."

Zelgadis was slightly taken aback.

"The...future?"

Amelia nodded. "Yes, I wanted to ask you what you plan on doing once you find your cure?"

"Um," the chimera found himself at a loss for words. He hadn't quite expected the conversation to be about him, per se.

"I suppose I'll have to re-train myself," he finally answered. He poured another glass.

"I mean, becoming a chimera gave me incredible power. Speed, strength and stamina I didn't have as a human. My magical capacity is also such that I can easily control one big spell at the same time as a smaller spell. When I become human again, if I ever do, I imagine I'll feel a lot...weaker."

Amelia hadn't known what to expect from his answer, but this was so far out of left field that she handed her glass to Zelgadis to be re-filled, then sat down on the edge of her bed and stared at him.

"But," she finally said, "If you have gained so much as a chimera, I don't understand why you want to lose it all."

Zelgadis' mouth dropped open in surprise as he handed her back her glass.

"Amelia! Look at me! I have a blue stone body and pointy ears! I have wire for hair! I'm a freak! No one looks at me and sees a man, all they see is a monster!"

Amelia was beginning to feel the wine's influence, and it was making her a bit bolder. So she decided to simply tell him the truth.

"So what? Who are these imaginary people you're talking about? Are the ones who would think such things about you even worth knowing? When you have people who love you the way you are, why would you want so desperately to change?"

Zelgadis' expression softened as he answered her.

"If I recall," he said as gently as possible, "You thought I was creepy and suspicious looking when we first met."

At that, Amelia blushed furiously and crossed her arms in indignation.

"I was a lot younger then, and I eventually got to know you!" She defended without looking at her friend.

Zelgadis couldn't help the small chuckle that rose in his chest. He had a fleeting thought about how much wine he'd already had. He poured another glass.

"Even so, your initial reaction is one I'm used to. And it's one I'm tired of." He made the latter statement with no sense of sorrow, just as a matter of fact.

"Maybe I don't want anyone else to get to know you," Amelia heard herself saying.

Real smooth, princess!

Zelgadis was feeling a bit dizzy, so he walked over and sat down on the bed next to Amelia.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

She placed her glass, which was empty once again, on the nightstand and turned toward him.

"I mean, what if I want to get to know you even more?"

Zelgadis blinked. "I don't follow."

And then Amelia rolled her eyes and was in his lap, kissing him.

She tasted of the sweet, fruity wine...and a bit of salt from the sweat of the night. She smelled like warm rain.

Zelgadis stiffened at her touch, and gently pushed her away.

"Amelia, I think that's the wine talking."

She shook her head, looking somewhat angry and determined.

"That may be," she said, "But I'm only speaking the truth. Wine wouldn't make me suddenly say things I don't mean. It just gives me the courage to say the things I've been thinking."

Zelgadis had to admit that the voice in his head that was usually quite clear regarding things like this was suddenly very quiet.

And it was because a part of him had wanted this. But private fantasies are a lot different (and safer) than real life.

Kissing a tipsy princess in a private room in a town that few people had heard of was just asking for trouble.

Not to mention he couldn't find it within himself to take advantage of Amelia when she wasn't completely in her right mind. No matter what else he had done in the past, he was not that kind of man.

Amelia rose and collected the bottle of wine, then splashed more into her glass. She then took the glass Zelgadis was still holding and refilled it, as well.

"What was the point of the wine?" Zelgadis found himself asking.

"Because I was afraid," the princess answered without hesitation. "I was afraid to face you without some help. Isn't that stupid? You're my best friend."

Zelgadis said nothing, and Amelia continued.

"Look at this bottle," she said, holding up the long, narrow bottle of clear glass. The remaining bit of alcohol splashed around in the bottom.

"Do you see this bottle as mostly empty, or partly full?" she asked.

Zelgadis answered quickly, "Mostly empty. We've obliterated that whole thing, just between the two of us."

Amelia shook her head in disagreement. "I see it as partly full. Sure, there is only a small amount left, but it's worth keeping. That little bit of wine could be worth a lot to the right person at the right time."

With that, she put the bottle to her lips and finished it off.

"But now it's all gone," Zelgadis whispered.

"Yes," Amelia nodded, slowly. "It's all gone. Now what I'm holding is just a clear bottle, like so many millions of others. It still has a function and can still be useful...but it's not special anymore."

"Amelia," Zelgadis breathed so softly that he wasn't sure if her name had actually made it past his lips.

She was looking down, so he cupped her chin and tilted her head up to look at him.

"I know what you're trying to do...but all I really want is your support. Please?" His eyes were pleading, but his head was spinning with questions.

What do you really want, Zel?

Why do you really want to be human, Zel?

Maybe so you can fall in love with a pretty girl and get married and have babies?

So you can walk through the town where you've settled down and not have to deal with whispers and stares?

But...what if there was a pretty girl who wanted you now?

What if the place where you settle down gets used to you and doesn't whisper behind your back?

What if you're human and you can't protect her as well?

What if she dies because you couldn't save her?

Because she's a goddamn princess and people try to kill princesses all the time.

Zelgadis' thoughts came to a screeching halt.

He desperately wanted to become human even more since meeting Amelia, and now it was obvious why. He wanted to be with her in the way only a man could.

But his stone body had saved them both on more than one occasion.

And she was sitting next to him, on her bed, confessing her feelings to him. Now. In this moment. Not sometime in the future when he may or may not become human again.

As if reading his mind, Amelia chimed in with, "You've always been human, Zelgadis."

It was the first time he'd ever heard her say his name without an honorific.

Before his inner monologue could stop him, he had pulled Amelia back into his arms and found her mouth with his once again.

Amelia returned the heated kiss with enthusiasm.

She felt him with every part of her. She felt every pebble through his thin shirt. She felt him becoming aroused as they kissed.

She cautiously ran her right hand up the side of his neck and through the course strands of his hair. She was careful not to prick her fingers on the sharp ends.

Zelgadis mirrored her movements and soon found his own right hand on the back of her head, fingers running through her hair and pulling her even closer to him.

"Amelia," he gasped as her lips found his throat, "I think we should stop before we..."

And then everything went black.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	7. If You Fear What I Feel

**All's Fair in Love and Cake**

_Chapter 7: If You Fear What I Feel_

* * *

**Sorry for the short-ish chapter!**

* * *

When Zelgadis woke the next morning, he cursed the sun and tried to roll over and smash his face directly into the blessed darkness of his pillow.

That's when he realized something was weighing him down.

Looking down, ignoring the pain in his head and the ringing in his ears, Zelgadis noticed the singular most important thing in his life.

Amelia was laying on top of him, a thin nightshirt bunched up around her waist and exposing her tiny pink panties, and he wasn't wearing a shirt.

The princess was face down with her left arm flung across his bare chest, and her left leg hooked around his at the knee.

Zelgadis was frozen in terror.

They were wearing clothes, so that was good. They couldn't have done anything too terribly damaging to their relationship and Amelia's reputation if they were still wearing _some _clothes.

Right?

Amelia suddenly shifted and made a little whining sound as she nuzzled her face into Zelgadis' neck and then began breathing evenly again.

The chimera didn't dare move. He barely breathed.

The last thing he remembered was downing a bottle of wine...and then some kissing.

Kissing was allowed. Kissing could be innocent. Kissing is something you can laugh off in the morning.

Then he thought back to the way he and Amelia had been kissing, and bit his lower lip.

Okay, so not all kissing was innocent.

_Fuck, why can't I remember what happened after that? _ Zelgadis was really beginning to panic. _I hope Amelia remembers more than I do._

Suddenly, Amelia began to stir. She looked up at him with heavy eyelids and adorably messy hair.

"Zelgadis," she mumbled, "What are you doing in my room?"

Well, so much for that.

* * *

Amelia splashed tepid water on her face until she thought she might drown, then stepped back and gazed at her reflection in the small mirror adorning the wall of her washroom.

Even she had to admit she looked pretty frazzled. After awakening to find the man she was undoubtedly in love with _in bed with her_ she was certainly entitled to a little freak-out.

It all started coming back to her as she washed up. The wine, the talk, the metaphors, the kiss...that went on and on.

Unfortunately, while they were kissing, Zelgadis had fallen dead asleep on her bed. He didn't drink alcohol very regularly, and it was so hot...the wine must have gone straight to his head.

So she had done the only thing she could think to do in her drunken haze. She took off his shirt, tucked him in, and climbed in bed with him.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Amelia chided herself, softly bumping her forehead against the washroom wall with each 'stupid.'

Steeling herself and holding back tears, Amelia exited the washroom to face Zelgadis' wrath, embarrassment and admonishment.

What she found, however, was a well-rested man sitting at the foot of her bed with a small smile on his lips.

"Good morning," he said. "You ran off so fast, I didn't get a chance to say it before."

"You're not mad at me?" Amelia asked, suspiciously.

Zelgadis raised a stony eyebrow in confusion. "Mad at you? Of course not. If anything, I should be mad at myself for losing control a bit last night."

Amelia stared at her friend for a long time before saying, "It wasn't your fault, I was the one who threw myself at you. I'm sorry."

Zelgadis stood and made his way to the door. "Forget about it. This place is making everyone a little crazy. At least we both got a decent night's sleep, right? Now we can get a fresh start on this cake project and get out of here. See you in the kitchen!"

With that, he left Amelia's room and closed the door softly behind him.

And in that moment, Amelia's heart broke.

* * *

Zelgadis began preparing the cake ingredients for what felt like the hundredth time while trying to erase the memories of Amelia in the morning from his mind.

Stir, stir, stir, _soft tan thighs, _stir, stir stir, _tiny waist perfect for holding, _stir, stir, stir, _ass to die for..._

Zelgadis dropped his spoon into the batter.

"Good morning, Zelgadis-san!"

Zelgadis gritted his teeth but didn't turn around.

"What do you want, Xellos?" He growled at the infuriating Mazoku.

"Why, I was just stopping by to see how you and Amelia-san were faring with the cake!"

The chimera whirled on Xellos and snapped, "How do you think we're faring?"

Xellos let out a _tsk tsk _and waggled a finger at Zelgadis.

"Zelgadis-san, you really shouldn't get so worked up. At this rate, you'll never finish."

Then the evil minion of a Mazoku Lord vanished in an array of pretty purple sparkles.

Amelia chose that moment to timidly enter the kitchen.

"Zelgadis?" She called out.

The chimera noticed that she still wasn't calling him 'Zelgadis-san', and that fact made him smile a bit.

"Hey, Amelia," he said, turning around to face her and trying his best to act nonchalant. "You just missed a visit from our favorite mysterious priest."

Amelia frowned. "What in the world did _he _want?"

Zelgadis shrugged. "Just to torment me, as usual. I get the feeling he really doesn't want us to finish this cake. Which makes me even more determined to do it."

Amelia nodded in agreement and announced, "Whatever the Mazoku are up to, we'll defeat them!"

She took her place next to Zelgadis at the counter and they worked in companionable silence for a long while.

There were so many things Amelia wanted to say. Cake and heatwave be damned, she wanted to know why Zelgadis was acting so weird, like nothing had happened between them. Was it because he didn't _want _anything to happen between them? Was he really ashamed of kissing her? Or was he putting on some kind of show for her benefit because he thought she regretted it?

Amelia stopped stirring her allotment of batter and moved the bowl to another table, away from Zelgadis. She slammed it down, angrily, then proceeded with her stirring.

Zegadis watched her move away from him and frowned. She was obviously angry at him. But was it because of what had happened the night before? Or was it because he wouldn't talk about it?

The sorcerer sighed. Women were confusing. Finding a cure for his body would probably be easier than figuring out the workings of a woman's mind!

"Amelia," he finally said, because he realized he couldn't stand the idea of the princess being mad at him. "I'd like to talk about what happened last night."

Amelia turned around, surprised.

Zelgadis continued, "I'm only going to say this once. If you are okay with what happened...the kissing, I mean...then I'm okay with it. And once we finish this damned cake and get out of this godforsaken town, we can discuss it further, if you'd like. But if you aren't okay with...kissing me...then we can pretend like the whole thing never happened."

Amelia was speechless for a moment, then burst out in a fit of giggles.

"You're so obtuse!" she said, between giggles. "Of course I'm okay with kissing you! I've wanted to kiss you for a very long time!"

Zelgadis looked dumbfounded. "You have?"

"Yes! I wouldn't have done it unless I wanted to!"

The chimera fidgeted a bit and quietly said, "Well...thanks. That was a really amazing first kiss." His face reddened at the embarrassing statement.

Amelia closed the distance between them and said, "That was your first kiss? Ever?"

Zelgadis nodded. "Girls were the last thing on my mind before Rezo changed me. We moved around all the time anyway, and I was always too busy training and fighting for Rezo. Then after...well...you should know the rest. I'm not exactly a catch."

Amelia's eyes narrowed at that statement and she said, "I hate when you're down on yourself. I think you're quite a catch, if that means anything to you."

Zelgadis smirked and said, "It means a lot to me...but I can't say I understand you."

Amelia smiled brightly and said, "You don't have to understand. You're stuck with me, so just accept it."

Then she stood on the tips of her toes and planted a kiss on his lips that he couldn't blame on a bottle of wine.

Zelgadis deepened the kiss, because he respected that Amelia was capable of making her own decisions, and because he was a man and she was also severely attractive. It seemed pretty obvious.

Amelia responded with enthusiasm, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and pulling herself up and closer to him. He wrapped one arm around the tiny waist he had admired just that morning, and held her in place.

Amelia broke the kiss first, pulling away a bit and breathing heavily. "Zelgadis," she murmured, "when this is all over, will you come back to Seyruun with me?"

"Yes," he said, simply.

Amelia's smile could have lit up a kingdom.

"Thank you," she said. "Now let's finish this cake!"

Then she splashed a little batter on the chimera's nose and bounded away, giggling.

Zelgadis watched her get back to her bowl and smiled.

_So this is what it's like to be happy._

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_

* * *

_Author's Note: Oh, my! It's like a love confession without all the lovey-dovey crap! Will Zelgadis continue to be happy? And just what are the Mazoku up to? More importantly...what will Phil say when they get back to Seyruun?_

_Find out next time! :D_


End file.
